theogt
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Cowboy keys
Three for the home team:
1. Take away Portis: Seems simple, right? Well, the last two weeks against the Giants and Jets, it was just as obvious No. 26 was getting the ball. And the ‘Skins kept pounding and pounding and, by the end of both, he wound up with well over 100 yards on 30-plus carries. Getting Portis going would allow the Commanders to control the clock, sure to be an emphasis for D.C., and open things up for Campbell.
2. Spread ’em out: Expect more three-wide sets, and more looks with Jason Witten split out and in the slot than almost any week this season. By doing so, the Cowboys can force Washington substitution, taking a player from the team’s stout front seven off the field, while adding an extra defensive back from an already-depleted secondary. Bottom line: The Cowboys should be able to throw it on Washington, and this is the way to create matchups by testing the secondary’s depth.
3. Seize control early: A 10- or 14-point Cowboy lead in the first half could mean curtains for the Commanders. Washington simply can’t afford not to give Portis the ball over and over, they won’t be able to if they’re down quickly. And this is achievable given the state of the Washington secondary.
Posted by Albert Breer http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 2:40 PM (E-mail this entry) Permalink | Comments (0)
Commanders keys
Here's three for the visitors:
1. Take it to Roy: With no Brandon Lloyd, a hobbled Santana Moss and a young quarterback in Jason Campbell, the Commanders’ offense isn’t exactly equipped to test the Cowboys vertically. So it’s a pretty good bet they’ll take a page out of the Giants book and find ways to isolate Chris Cooley on Roy Williams, to test the safety. Half of Jeremy Shockey’s 12 catches last week went for first downs, and that’s not counting his touchdown in the first quarter. They came by getting Shockey out on to the perimeter, where Williams manned him up, and work him over the middle on early downs. Expect more of that from Cooley.
2. Create short yardage: Every Cooley catch doesn’t have to produce a first down. And every Clinton Portis run doesn’t need to net a dozen yards. What’s important is that on first down leads to second-and-5, rather than second-and-9. The idea is to put Campbell in the best situation to succeed, and by getting him completions early, which can be had against the Cowboys’ base looks, confidence will build and the late-down situations he faces will be more manageable.
3. Balance it out: Even with some of the injuries the Commanders have incurred, there’s plenty of talent on their defense. So the key becomes winning key one-on-one matchups. Maybe it’s Jason Witten vs. LaRon Landry. Maybe it’s Fred Smoot vs. Terrell Owens. What really counts is that if the Commanders defenders can handle those individual showdowns, it will allow Greg Williams to blitz more, and to balance his coverage without over-committing to one player or another, something Tony Romo has shown he can take advantage of.
Posted by Albert Breer http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 2:38 PM (E-mail this entry) Permalink | Comments (0)
Three for the home team:
1. Take away Portis: Seems simple, right? Well, the last two weeks against the Giants and Jets, it was just as obvious No. 26 was getting the ball. And the ‘Skins kept pounding and pounding and, by the end of both, he wound up with well over 100 yards on 30-plus carries. Getting Portis going would allow the Commanders to control the clock, sure to be an emphasis for D.C., and open things up for Campbell.
2. Spread ’em out: Expect more three-wide sets, and more looks with Jason Witten split out and in the slot than almost any week this season. By doing so, the Cowboys can force Washington substitution, taking a player from the team’s stout front seven off the field, while adding an extra defensive back from an already-depleted secondary. Bottom line: The Cowboys should be able to throw it on Washington, and this is the way to create matchups by testing the secondary’s depth.
3. Seize control early: A 10- or 14-point Cowboy lead in the first half could mean curtains for the Commanders. Washington simply can’t afford not to give Portis the ball over and over, they won’t be able to if they’re down quickly. And this is achievable given the state of the Washington secondary.
Posted by Albert Breer http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 2:40 PM (E-mail this entry) Permalink | Comments (0)
Commanders keys
Here's three for the visitors:
1. Take it to Roy: With no Brandon Lloyd, a hobbled Santana Moss and a young quarterback in Jason Campbell, the Commanders’ offense isn’t exactly equipped to test the Cowboys vertically. So it’s a pretty good bet they’ll take a page out of the Giants book and find ways to isolate Chris Cooley on Roy Williams, to test the safety. Half of Jeremy Shockey’s 12 catches last week went for first downs, and that’s not counting his touchdown in the first quarter. They came by getting Shockey out on to the perimeter, where Williams manned him up, and work him over the middle on early downs. Expect more of that from Cooley.
2. Create short yardage: Every Cooley catch doesn’t have to produce a first down. And every Clinton Portis run doesn’t need to net a dozen yards. What’s important is that on first down leads to second-and-5, rather than second-and-9. The idea is to put Campbell in the best situation to succeed, and by getting him completions early, which can be had against the Cowboys’ base looks, confidence will build and the late-down situations he faces will be more manageable.
3. Balance it out: Even with some of the injuries the Commanders have incurred, there’s plenty of talent on their defense. So the key becomes winning key one-on-one matchups. Maybe it’s Jason Witten vs. LaRon Landry. Maybe it’s Fred Smoot vs. Terrell Owens. What really counts is that if the Commanders defenders can handle those individual showdowns, it will allow Greg Williams to blitz more, and to balance his coverage without over-committing to one player or another, something Tony Romo has shown he can take advantage of.
Posted by Albert Breer http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 2:38 PM (E-mail this entry) Permalink | Comments (0)